While Polly Jean Harvey named her sixth studio disc “Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea” it would have been more appropriate to have called the dozen-track recording “Postcard From New York City,” having written much of the disc while camped here in Skyscraper Park last year.

The city’s vibrancy and chaos is eloquently reflected in her music. While other Harvey efforts have to be worked at to be appreciated, this is a fan-friendly rock album that often recalls the stylings of New York’s rock poetess Patti Smith.

Listen for her duet with Radiohead singer Thom Yorke on “This Mess We’re In.” While this is the follow up to her 1998 album, “Is This Desire,” – a mostly ethereal, ambient effort – “Stories” is very melodic, often pretty, straight-ahead rock.

Harvey is an experimenter musically so this may just be a touchstone to yet another direction in her career. Still, after spinning this record a few times, you begin to hope that Harvey will settle down with this sound.

JOHN PRINE

“Souvenirs”

Oh Boy Records

On a single 15-song disc, Oh Boy Records has captured 30 years of John Prine’s musical genius. If you don’t know his name or his manly baritone, you’ll likely know one or two of his songs that have been covered by just about everyone.

This is a timeless album of prime John Prine. Wonderful old songs recorded new. Listen for the new arrangements on “Angel From Montgomery,” “Fish and Whistle” and “Hello In There.

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WHAT’S Halloween without a few bumps in the night and music to give you the heebie-jeebies? To that end here are three discs that’ll chill your spine.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

“Spooky Scary Sounds for Halloween”

½ Rhino Records

To most, just the mention of Martha Stewart’s name is scary enough, but this time around the uber hausfrau has stitched together a continuous, 40-minute track of evil laughter, creaking doors, hooting owls and other creepy noises. As much as you want to hate this disc of costume party background noise, after a while it does give your spine a few shivers and conjures a creepy atmosphere.

GIL SHAHAM and JONATHAN FELDMAN

“Devil’s Dance”

½ Deutsche Grammophon

On this collection, Grammy Award winning violinist Gil Shaham demonstrates instances of how the fiddler has been portrayed as a possessed tool of the devil and violin music as being demonically inspired. This disc draws mostly from the classical world, but there is also a tongue in cheek humor to the collection especially when it taps “Transylvanian Lullaby” from Mel Brooks’ classic “Young Frankenstein.” Not a bad disc, but it is a little too serious.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

“The Ultimate Horror Movie Album”

Decca Records

Since the first talkie more than 70 years ago the horror film and creepy Goth music have walked hand in hand through the graveyard. On “The Ultimate Horror Movie Album” this relationship is examined with the themes from “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “Psycho,” and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” among others. This disc will have equal appeal with film buffs as it will with Halloween revelers.